It's Supposed to Be a Challenge, Right?!

When the lovely Lisa Lodge, of A Grateful Artist - Pine Ridge Treasures suggested a blog hop with her bead table de-stash, I jumped right in.  It's not like I need more beads.  I truly, truly don't (and I would show you a picture of my Bead cave but it's been officially condemned by the cats).  But Lisa always comes up with something I've never tried and I am determined to try new things.  

The theme this time was to be Sand and Sea; the beads each participant received would either be the colors of the sea or the colors of the sand.  I am very comfortable working with blues and greens.  I rarely work in earth tones.  But this was supposed to be a challenge, right?

Right. I got the sand.

Lots and lots of sand.  I finally corralled the little beadies and began to ponder.

I tend toward wire-wrapping.  I like to make sure those little guys never escape again.  But these were, for the most part, quite small and would not lend themselves well to techniques with which I am comfortable.

So I pondered some more.  This was supposed to be a challenge, right?  Finally  had it.  I would do some bead and wire crochet.  So I went looking for a tutorial.

It turns out I am tutorial-challenged.  I failed Slip Knots 101.

Then I remembered:  Hey!  I know how to crochet!  At least, I used to know how to crochet.  Hopefully it was like riding a bicycle.  Oh, wait.  I don't really remember how to do that, either.

So I found my old crochet hooks and ordered the 28 GA wire recommended in the tutorial and started just crocheting.

I crocheted and crocheted and crocheted.  It was just like old times except there were beads rolling all over the place.

The cats thought it was even better than chasing yarn... not that they remember.  They weren't around in my yarn days.  They actually only know how to chase beads.

And there were plenty of beads to chase.  They slithered right off the wire.

I persevered.

And look!  A necklace!

I also tried a new wire-wrapping technique on the focal.  I was a veritable beadie adventurer!

As long as I was going wild, I thought I'd model the necklace myself.  Do you recognize me??

What I learned in this challenge:

18 GA wire is rather delicate and can break.

It is hard to put a broken crocheted wire and bead necklace back together again.  You have to start over.

To start over you have to now un-capture all those beads you captured in the crochet stitches.

It's good to have extra beads.

The cats agree.

Here's the rest of the blog hop.  Go take a look and see what the others have created.

Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life

Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs

Tanya Goodwin, A Work in Progress

Kathy Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Toltec Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson, Sharyl's Jewelry

Marla Gibson, Spice Box Designs

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Dot Lewallen, Speedie Beadie

Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs

Kim Booth, The Pink Martini Boutique

Jami Shipp, Celebrating Life

Leah Tees, My Beady Littleeyes

Christie Murrow, www.charisdesignsjewelry.blogspot.com

Monique Urquhart, A Half Baked Notion

Gloria Allen,   Gloria Allen Designs

Cindy Anderson Wilson,  It's My Sea of Dreams

Suzi Campbell, Suzi Campbell Creations

Shaiha Williams,   Shaiha's Ramblings

Annette Rivers, MamaOwl's Mess

The Return of the Gingerbread People and Their Sad Demise

The True Story of the Gingerbread Persons and Their Sad Demise

Once upon a time, a little old woman and a little old man lived in a cottage, which they held onto through a loan modification. One day the little old woman made some gingerbread people to keep her company.  Her husband was quite deaf and she needed someone to talk to. She gave them currants for eyes and cherries for buttons. Then she popped them in the oven to bake.

The little old woman and little old man were very hungry and wanted to eat the gingerbread men and women.  She brewed a pot of coffee and they waited for the oven timer to DING. As soon the timer went off, the little old woman opened the oven door.  But the gingerbread people, who clearly were made from more than flour, butter, and molasses, leapt off the cookie sheet and ran out of the open window shouting, "Don't eat us!"

The little old woman and little old man ran after the gingerbread people."Stop! Stop!" they shouted.  But the gingerbread people didn't even look back. They ran on, and started to chant:
'Run, run as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!'  (The gingerbread girls chanted "Run, run as fast as you can. Gingerbread girls outrun any man!")

Down the lane they sped until they saw a pig.  The pig said, "Snort, stop!   I would like to eat you!"

"First you'd have to get out of the mud," answered the gingerbread crew as they raced down the road.  They started up their chants again.  "Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me,
I'm the gingerbread man"  and "Run, run as fast as you can. Gingerbread girls outrun any man!"

A little further on they met a cow. "Stop! Stop! " mooed the hungry cow.  "You look good enough to eat!"

But the gingerbread people were too fast.  They sped on down the road, shouting, "Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man"  and "Run, run as fast as you can.  Gingerbread girls outrun any man!"

The cow began to chase the gingerbread crew along with the pig, and the little old woman. (The little old man had gone back to the cottage to drink all the coffee.) But the gingerbread people were too fast for them.

It was not long before the gingerbread troops came to a horse. "Stop! Stop!" shouted the horse. "I want to eat you all!"

And did they stop?  Nooooo.  Instead they ran on, shouting "Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man"  and "Run, run as fast as you can. Gingerbread girls outrun any man!"

The horse joined in the chase. The gingerbread people laughed and laughed, until they came to a river. "Uh-oh!" they moaned.  "How will we cross the river?"

That's when the sly fox appeared.  "I can help you cross the river," said the fox. "Just jump on to my tail and I will swim across."

"But won't you eat us?" asked the gingerbread folk.

"Of course not," said the fox. "I just want to help."

Having crumbs for brains, the gingerbread people climbed onto the fox's tail. Soon they began to get wet.  Very wet.

"Climb onto my back," said the fox. So they did.  (Did I mention they had crumbs for brains?)

As he swam the fox said, "You are very heavy and I am getting very tired.  Please jump onto my nose." The Gingerbreads did as they were told.

No sooner had they reached the other side, than the fox tossed the gingerbread people up in the air. He opened his mouth and 'Snap!' that was the end of the gingerbread people.  Except on this bracelet, where they are safe.


They're pretty safe on the earrings, too.

The End

(until it's baking time again)

Gingerbread for all right here.

Butterfly Musings and a Chance to Win Butterfly Earrings

Of all species of butterfly,
Of all the types who flutter by:

Nymphilidae, Hesperidae,
Lycaeridae, there’s more, I say…

Monarch, peacock, swallowtail,
Painted Lady, Painted Male …

Their colors rival rainbow hues
With reds, greens, oranges, and blues.

And yet these Lepidoptera
(in colors quite show stop-tera)

Are color-blind. They only see
Red, yellow, green. (Those colors three.)

Which means our insect stud won’t notice
Femmes all tarted like a lotus.

He’d never know if future mate
Had changed wing-color for their date

Or if some Lepidoptera
Wore colors quite show stop-tera.

But when approaching traffic lights
On sunny morns or murky nights

A butterfly would always know
To slow, to stop, and then to go.

Bracelet and earrings right here.

Now about that chance to win these...

...all you have to do is leave a comment.  Then, on April 29th, 2011, at 5 PM PDT, Gilda (who is a big fan of butterflies)...

... will dip her paw into the beaded hat and pull out a winner.  Be sure to leave contact information with your comment (website, email, etc.) so Gilda and the butterflies can find you.

The Peep Underground

For too long, Peeps have been considered a seasonal candy ~ one found in Easter baskets and consumed upon discovery.  But Peeps have a bigger role in Operation Easter Basket.



Easter Rabbits are notoriously irresponsible.



They are often waylaid by tortoises challenging them to footraces.



Often they don't even make it to the finish line.



And a lot of these Easter Rabbits have a bit of a gambling problem.



More than once, an Easter Bunny has found his way into Mr. McGregor's garden...



...and ended up in a pie,



or been waylaid in an attempt to become real.



So it's been Peeps to the Rescue!



Clearly keeping Easter Bunnies in line is a big job.



It requires a lot of Peeps.



In fact, it requires an ARMY of Peeps.



The Peeps' job entails making sure there is no Easter Bunny napping...



drinking on the job,



or engaging in other extracurricular activities.



It is thanks to those hardworking Peeps...



...that Easter eggs are delivered on time.





Then everyone can rest and rehab for a while.



Express your Peeps gratitude.